Ballsy the Red Squirrel

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Saturday, September 22nd, 2007. Moosehead Lake, Maine. Darrin awoke to cloudy, windy weather. Three and four-foot waves were raging, and he couldn’t see across Moosehead Lake. He munched an energy bar, and immediately broke camp in hopes of completing some miles before the already-brutal wind got any stronger.

Once on the water, his canoe was struck by waves lapping over the sides. When he headed to land for the Northeast Carry portage, the wind shoved him securely onto shore. He portaged the Northeast Carry on a dirt road, along which he stopped at a country store for breakfast. Next he put onto the West Branch of the Penobscot River, where he saw muskrats, cormorants, and beaver.

By mid-afternoon, he pulled onto Thoreau Island where Henry David Thoreau had camped during his time in Maine. It wasn’t long before Darrin learned that he had a companion. No, it wasn’t Thoreau’s ghost, but rather, “Ballsy” the red squirrel, so named for his “ballsy” behavior.

Ballsy had no qualms about demonstrating his agenda of mischief and destruction, plus his lack of fear of humans. Ballsy first made himself known by appearing on a tree branch, above Darrin’s hanging water bag. In one slick move, Ballsy nipped a hole in the sipping hose attached to the water bag. Fortunately, Darrin was able to cut the hose and reinsert the fresh end into the bag. Next, Ballsy went for Darrin’s food and gear, which he picked at incessantly until Darrin moved everything into his tent. In protest, Ballsy chewed a hole in the tent screen while Darrin was off gathering water.

Surprisingly, Ballsy didn’t bother to enter Darrin’s tent. Darrin did suspect an ulterior motive, however. It seems Ballsy may have been connected to a vast network of bold rodents spreading across an expanse of wilderness, for a rodent later up the water trail would discover a golden opportunity in that tent hole.

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